Dough mixer and kneader.



No. 815,775 I I PATENTED MAR. 20, 1906.

I O LD. WOODRUFR- I DOUGH MIXER AND KNEADER.

Arrmoumn FILED JULY 21, 1905'. V

2 sums-sum 1.

v supportsit. Fig. 7 is a plan view of theend UNI E IPATENI: i OLIVER D. 'wooDRiiFF, or 'soumeroiv; ooNNEoTIou-r.

' DOUGH MIXER AND KNEADER; I i

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed m 21,1905. Serial to. 270.636.

Patented March 20; 19.0%

To aJZ whom it may concern."

Be it knownthat LOLWER. D. W ODRU'FF, I of Southington, Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in DOIlglIMlIG ersand Kneaders, of which the following description and claims. constitute the specification and which is illustrated by the ac'compa- Fig. 4s is aside elevation except that-the cover is absent'an'd part of the crank is broken away and the pan is in k ratus.

nying drawings. 7

This a paratus is a mechanical dough mixer an kneader. l 4

Figure 1. of the drawings is a side elevation of the entire apparatus, except that it shows in section the an and the cover of the pan and .a part of a ointed bracket and a segment of the table upon which the apparatus stands .and to which it is attached. Fig. 2 is a planv .view of the apparatus. Fig.3 is a side view of-the rotor looking at that part from the righthand side of Fig. 1 and toward the righthand side of the rotor as it afppears in Fig. 1.

the apparatus,

section, and this figure also shows a mass of dough being kneaded by the rotor in the an.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the pan and o the working part of the rotor kneading a mass of.

dough in the pan. Fig. 6 is a vertical section ofanalternative form ofconnection of the shank ofthe rotor with the bracket which.

of the alternative form of the bracket. Fig. l

8 isa side view of-the latch which is appurtenant to that end of that form ofv bracket.

.. I The numeral lindioates a tinned pan, the;

which is particularlyadapted to my appa-.

The numeral 3indicates an upright stand- The numeral, 5 indicates a radial and approximately horizontal bracket, the outer 1 end of which is attached to. the upper end of the standard 3 by the set-screw 6 and the inner end of which supports the rotor 7 and the rotor-ecrank8: The outer end of the bracket 'ard clamped to the table by the set-screw 4.

5 is bifurcated, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the 1 bracket can be withdrawn from the upper 7 end of the standard 3 when the set-screw 6 is unscrewed through only a part of its length. .The outer end of those bifurcations of the bracket 5 are each provided with the down-' wardly-ex-tending projection 10 for hooking shank of that bracket.

over the upper end of the standard 3, and the upperendof that standard is provided with The cover 2 is provided the axial opening 19 and also with the. radial opening 20, which extends from that axial opening about one-half of the distance toward-the edge of the cover. The axial art of thi compound opening is bounde y the. S g+ mental flange 21. The outer border of the cover is also portion 22, ich occupies a higher plane than the other parts of that outer border, ,so as to giveroom for the bracket v5, etween that'part of the cover and thebeaded edge 12 of the pan 1 without raising the other parts of the annular border of the cover above the beaded edge of the pan. The cover being thus specially constructed can be placed in parts of the apparatus are, place by passing the compound opening of the cover over the provided with the segmental crank-handle andthe crank a d then by turning the cover around, if necessary," to bring the radial part 20 of that opening .directlyover the bracket 5 and then lowering the cover into place,;sov that the segmental portion 22 of its border will inclose-the flat The bracket 5 is preferably madein two .parts detaohably united by the dowel 3,0 an the dowel-receiver 31 and the dowel-latch-32. In this casetherotor 7 hasits shank, 14p videdwith the flange 33 below its vertical hearing in the inner end of the bracket 5 and also has the flat surface 34 and the segmentalannular groove 35% the upper end Of tha sha k or engagement with the rotor crank 8 n the rotor-latch 36, respectively These parts are assembled bypassing theshank of the rotor upward into the vertical bearing in the bracket 5 until the flange33 reaches the lower side of that bracket and thereupon placing the hub ofthe rotor-crank upon the upper end of the rotor-shank and then-turning the rotor-latch into the groove 35.

In the alternative mechanism; shown in Figs. 6, 7, and 8 the radial bracket is made in one piece; butin this form the inner end of o the bracket is bifurcated, as shownin Figs. 6 and 7, so that the rotor can be inserted in place 'by'carrying it: laterally from right to left at such a level that the rotor-shank 14 will pass between those bifurcations until the hub 9 of the crank 8 reaches a point directly over the segmental bearing 15, whereupon that hub is carried downward into that bearing, and then the latch 16 is oscillated forward upon its pivot 17 from the position shown in Fig. 7 to that shown in Fig. 6, in which latter position it engages with the annular groove 18, which extends around the hub 9.

The rotor 7 consists of a rod bent into the peculiar form shown in the drawings. In the preferred form of the apparatus the shank of the rotor is detachably attached to the rotorcrank and carried by the bracket 5 in the way shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the drawings; but the rotor-shank may be provided at its upper end with a screw-thread for permanent insertion in a threaded axial opening in the hub 9 of the rotor-crank, as shown in Fig. 6.

The peculiar form of the rotor 7 consists in its vertical reach 23, extending downward from its bearing, and in its bend 24 at the lower end of that reach and in its diagonal reach 25, extending outwardly and downwardly from that bend, and in its bend 26, extending away from the reach 25, and in its reach 27, extending upwardly from the bend 26, and in the bend 28, extending inwardly from the reach 27 and in the horizontal reach 29 extending inwardly from the bend 28 to the reach 23. The lower part of the reach 23, together with all parts of the other reaches and bends, constitutes a loop, which when rotated around the vertical location of the reach 23 through a deposit of flour and liquid in the pan will first mix that flour and liquid and then knead them into homogeneous dough in a prompt and effective manner. That loop incloses the area shown in Fig. 5 when it is viewed from above, and when it is viewed from the front it incloses the area shown in Fig. 4, and when it is viewed from the righthand side it incloses the area shown in Fig. 3. The characteristics of the loop shown in the drawings include the fact that the reaches 25 and 29 extend away from the reach 23 about one hundred and ten degrees from each other and about thirty de rees and ninety de rees, respectively, from t e reach 23 and the point of junction of the reach 25 and the reach 23 a considerable distance below the point of junction of the reach 29 and the reach 23, and those characteristics also include the fact that the reach 27 is not in the same vertical plane nor in'the same horizontal plane as the reach 29, but is in a vertical plane much rearward of the vertical plane of the reach 29, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, and is in an inclined position much below the horizontal plane of the reach 29, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, and those characteristics also include the fact that the reach 29, though it is higher than any other part of the loop, is

lower than the plane of the edge 12 of the pan 1, and those characteristics also include the fact that the reach 27 extends between the bends 26 and 28 at an angle of about thirtyfive degrees from the horizontal; but this angle will be less where the pan is less concave than that shown in the drawings. It is best to make the bend 28 have a shorter radius than the bend 26 and to make the reach 27 with a slight upward curve, as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, instead of being straight.

The rotor has a special mode of operation which results from its peculiar form. That special mode of operation is graphically illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, where the courses taken by the dough relatively to the rotor are indicated by the arrows as fully as was found to be practicable by the draftsman, who made the drawings from a careful study of the relative movements of the rotor and the dough in an actual apparatus having such a rotor. Those movements cannot be accurately described in words; but they constitute a complex flowin of the dough through the loop and around t 1e reach 23 in a direction opposite to that of the rotation of the rotor. This complex flowing of the dough results in kneading comparable in complication and thoroughness to hand kneading and materially different from whatever mixing 5 and supposed kneading results from the rotation through a deposit of flour and water in a pan of a rod bent into the form of a sickle and rotated around a vertical shank corresponding with the handle of the sickle and is also materially different from whatever mixing and supposed kneading would result from the rotation through such a deposit of any looped-shaped stirrer which has no upper horizontal reach below the plane of the edge of the pan and has no lower inclined reach occupying a vertical plane rearward of that upper reach.

The horizontal reach 29 of the rotor 7 prevents the dough from climbing upward around the reach 23 above the plane of the edge of the pan during the rotation of the rotor. In performing that function the horizontal reach 29 also turns or rolls the upper portion of the dough down and under its lower portion.

I do not think it absolutely necessary for the reach 29 to be exactly horizontal and to extend quite to the reach 23, for I think it might slope upward, or even slightly'downward, toward the reach 23 and mi ht end a short distance before connectingFherewith. So, also, I think the reaches 25, 27, and 29 might all have horizontal outward bends midway of their respective lengths, so as to give the loop a more circular appearance when seen from above than is shown in Fig. 5, and, indeed, those reaches might have inward horizontal bends midway of their lengths, so as to present a succession of compound curves when seen from above instead of two and all-of them might constitute a loop com-.

posed entirely of bends of varyingdegrees of curvature. For these reasons I do not limit my claims to the exact form of rotorshown in the drawings, and in using the word loop to designate that form I do not mean that the loop must be absolutely continuous and unbroken, but only that it shall be so nearly so as to work substantially the'same as if it were so; but some of the characteristics of the rotor shown in the drawings are indispensable thereto, and I am quite willing to limit my claims in res ect ofthose characteristics.

These essential eatures of my rotor include the following: The upper reach 29 must. be substantially horizontal, and it must be lower than the edge of the pan, though higher than any other part of the loop of the rotor. I "The reach 27 must be lower than the'reach 29, as

' shown in- Figs. .1 and 4,- andit must also oocupy a vertical lane rearward of the reach 29, as shown in igs. 2 and 5, and the reach 25 must be still lower and more nearly horizontal than the reach 27, as shown in Fig. 3.

. The general mode of operation of this apparatus is as follows: The upright standard 3 is fixed to the'table by means of the set-screw 4. Thereupon the pan is placed on the table with a segment of its beaded edge 12 on the shelf 11 upon the upper end ofthe standard 3. The outer end. of the radial bracket 5 is then placed in the position shown in Fig. 1 upon the upper end of the standard with its bifurcation astride the shank of the set-screw 6 and with its downward. projections hooked over the upper, end of the standard- Thes'et screw 6 is then screwed home, and thus causes the bracket to clamp a segment of the beaded edge of the pan between itself and the upper i of the dowel 30 and the dowel-holder- 31 and the dowel-latch 32. The rotor 7 and the rd tor-crank 8 are also fixed to the bearing in the inner end of the bracket and are secured there by the rotor-latch 36 or the rotor-latch 16, as the case may be. Whatever liquid is used in making the dough is then poured into the pan, and the flour and the Other ingredientsof the dough are added thereto, and the cover is placed in the position shown in Fi 1, as above described; Thereupon the cran is turned a few minutes, so as to, rotate the rotor through the contents of the pan. That rotation first mixes the flour and liquid and other ingredients together and then thorcover are then left or set apla'ce of proper temperature, to remain there a few hours while thedough is rising. After that rising is finished the crank is again rotated a short time to reknead thedough as much as desired. Thereupon the cover is removed from the pan and the, dowel-latch is turned far enough to release the inner part of the bracket 5 from the outer part thereof, and the inner part of the bracket and the rotorcrank are then used to lift the rotor and the dough out of thepan. Where the integral bracket of Figs. 6 and 7 is used and when the kneading is completed, the latch 16 is turned out of the groove. 18 and the crank and the rotor are lifted far enough-to allow the shank 14 of the rotor to be removed sidewise from the bifurcated bearing 15 butthis operation takes longer than to disengage the two parts of the bracket of Figs. 1, '2, and 4, and the delay is a t to be long enough to cause the rotor to'part y lose its hold upon the dough, and

therefore to fail to lift'the dough all out of the pan. 'It is for this reason that the bracket of Figs. 1, 2, and 4 is better than the bracket of Figs. 6 and 7.

I claim as my invention 1. A dough mixerand kneader, consisting of the combination of a concave pan; a vertical standard a radial bracket, removably clamped atits outer end to the top of that standard, with a segment of the edge of the pan rigidly held between them, and provided at its inner end with a bearing; and a rotor, consisting of a loop, havingthe vertical axial reach 23; and the upper horizontal reach 29,

below the plane of the edge of the pan and the inclined reach 27, lower than the reach I 29, and rearward thereof ;v and the lower reach 25, lower than the reach 27, and more nearly horizontal than it those reaches being connected by the bends 24, 26, and 28; and that rotor having a vertical shank turning in the bearing at the inner end of the radial bracket, and being turned by a crank fixed to that shank; all substantially as described.

2. A dough mixer and kneader, consisting of the combination of a concave pan a vertical standard; a radial bracket, removably clamped at its outer end to the top of that standard, with a segment, of the edge of the pan rigidly held between them, and provided i at its inner end with a bearing, and having its inner part detachably connected-with its outer part; and a rotor, consisting of a loop,

upper horizontal reach 29, below the plane of the edge of the pan; and the inclined reach 27 lower than the reach 29, and rearward thereof and the lower reach 25, lower than the reach 27, and more nearly horizontal I20 having the vertical axial reach.23,' and the i turned by a crank fixed to that shank; all horizontal than it; those reaches being con- [0 substantially as described. nected with the bends 24, 26, and 28; and 3. In a dough mixer and kneader; a rotor that rotor having a Vertical shank, adapted consisting of a loop, having the Vertical axial to turn in an axial bearing above the loop; all 5 reach 23; and the upper horizontal reach 29, substantially as described.

below the plane of the edge of the pan; and OLIVER D. WOODRUFF. c the inclined reach 27, lower than the reach Witnesses:

29, and rearward thereof; and the lower reach ALBERT H. WALKER,

25, lower than the reach 2-7, and more nearly FREDERICK C. HUNTER. 

